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This page was last updated on: June 20, 2008
I have been putting together my own dry seed mix for several years now and have decided to pass it on to you. {;o) This is not a sprouting or germinating recipe. Feed dry only.For pluckering birds eliminate the corn, wheat and dried fruit bits. For overweight birds eliminate the corn, dried fruit bits, safflower seeds, wheat and reduce the sunflower seeds to 1/4 cup and the nuts to 1/8 cup. I have also included nutritional information links at the bottom of this recipe. May be used for pet bird(s) or a breeding flock. Freeze what you don't use in a couple of weeks time to keep it fresh in solid appropriately sized plastic containers. You can use this recipe on a daily basis. Just 10% of their daily food intake ( DFI ).You can use it 3 ( 20% DFI ) or 4 ( 15 % DFI ) times a week ( some parrot breeders do this as one of the ways to help entice their flock into breeding mode for the production of chicks or for people that are in a hurry, or if you are gone for a longer period of time, when you wouldn't want to leave fresh or cooked food out that long, etc ). © 1993 Little Darlings Tails Up Seed Mix Recipe
Just a 1/8 cup, 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup or 1 cup of each of the following using dry measurements - it all adds up when you get it in a bowl and mix it up!! Makes over 6 cups.almonds, pine nuts, walnuts and dry roasted peanuts in small pieces ( human grade 1/4 cup together, not of each )
barley hulled ( 1/4 cup )
buckwheat ( 1/2 cup )
coconut flakes dried ( 1/8 cup )
whole corn or cracked corn (1/8 cup) or popped popcorn ( plain - 1/2 cup ) and add it to the mix ( popped popcorn is more fun! )
different shapes of colored raw pasta or whole grain pasta ( 1 cup because it is bulky )
dried chili peppers in small pieces ( 1/8 cup )
dried vegetable and some herb flakes - broccoli, carrots, collard greens, dandelion, spinach, squash, mustard greens, garlic, kale, etc. ( 1/2 cup together, not of each )
dried fruit bits ( apples, bananas, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, currants, kiwi, lemons, mango, oranges, papaya, peaches, pineapple, raspberries, etc. - 1/3 cup together, not of each ) *no sulfur*
flax seed ( 1/8 cup )
groats or oats ( 1/4 cup )
hemp seed ( 1/8 cup )
pellets: Roudybush & Living World Lifetime Parrot or Cockatiel Granules ( 1 cup together, not of each, can substitute Mazuri, TOPS, Foundation Formula or Harrisons )
pumpkin seeds ( raw in-shell or shelled ) ( 1/8 cup )
quinoa ( 1/4 cup )
safflower seed ( 1/8 cup )
sesame seed ( 1/8 cup )
sunflower seed ( grey stripe - 1/4 cup )
whole wheat ( 1/4 cup )
wild, brown, red and black rice ( 1/2 cup together, not of each )
golden yellow or white & red millet ( 1/4 cup together, not of each )
I sometimes use other seeds/grains ... with that list it really adds up. I will increase the sunflower to 1/2 cup when I add more ingredients to the above group.With the dried fruits and vegetables, I have a convection wall oven that dries it naturally at 140 F from 4 to 24 hours ( so you want to do a whole bunch at a time ). Use organic and human grade where possible. But with the fruit, you need to sprinkle it with orange, cherry or lemon juice to prevent discolouration and loss of nutrients. Dry thoroughly before mixing with the above ingredients. You can also use a home dehydrator to dry your vegetables and fruit. A convection oven and home dehydrator are the best ways to dry your vegetables and fruit with the least amount of nutrient loss and with drying fruits produce less sugar. I do not recommend using products done by a commercial processor. If using commercial processing products, ones made specifically for birds is better than for humans.Make sure that it is unsulfured, no artificial flavouring or artificial preservatives. Check out the link below.* Do dried fruits contain more nutritional value than fresh fruits? *
Dried Fruits and Veggies Made Just for Birds
You do not need to add all the fruits and vegetables with each mix. It is just to give you an idea what can be put together. But should have at least 2 or 3 fruits and 5 or 6 vegetables. But more vegetables is recommended.My birds go crazy for this mix.This recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc and kept frozen until needed. Serve room temperature.You can make it more species specific as well.e.g.. Macaws and Conures instead of 1/4 cup of various nuts increase to 1 cup and eliminate the human grade dry roasted peanuts. Add macadamia and hazelnuts to the mix.Alexandrines, Amazons, Cockatoos, Pionus and Quakers stick to this recipe for the nuts and seeds. If you use more than what is recommended, it can lead to obesity and can also lead to fatty tumours and or fatty liver disease.Some links below for your research.Fruits - Nutrition Information
Nutrient Content Per Ounce of Popular Fruits
Cancer Fighting Nutrients: Fruits and Vegetables and Cancer Risk Reduction
Specific Nutrition Information on Individual Fruits and Vegetables
Vegetables: Nutrition Information
Nutritional Analysis of Seeds and Grains
The World's Healthiest Foods
Nutrients in 1 Ounce of Tree Nuts and Peanuts
Nutrients in 100 Grams of Tree Nuts and Peanuts
Phytochemicals in 1 Ounce of Tree Nuts and Peanuts
Nut Nutrition Gallery
© 1993 Little Darlings Tails Up Seed Mix Recipe
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BY Darlene Johnson of LITTLE DARLINGS
Copyright © September 1993 - 2008 All rights reserved.
© 1993 Little Darlings Eggfood Recipe
This recipe can be given to birds that are molting, to birds under stress, to parent birds feeding chicks and to chicks themselves.Boil the eggs for 30 minutes at a hard boil and then let cool, then put in a coffee grinder to ground them up to a fine powder [very quick process] and then add the rest of the ingredients. I would give the parents free access to this eggfood while they are feeding chicks. Warning too much Spirulina daily could harm your bird. It is very high in iron content. 1 tsp. is 114% iron for humans, 14% over the daily requirement for humans. Use sparingly. 1/8 tsp of flax seeds [EFA's omega 3 & 6 essential fatty acids]
1/8 teaspoon of mineral premix
1/8 teaspoon spirulina powder [human grade]
1/4 cup of pellet powder [no cuttlebone powder or oyster shell needed if using the pellet powder] or you could use 1/4 cup of dry whole wheat crumbs [need the 1/8 teaspoon of cuttlebone powder or 1/8 tsp of oyster shell]
1/8 teaspoon of cuttlebone powder [scraped from the cuttlebone] or 1/8 tsp of oyster shell
1 hard boiled egg [with shell]
1/4 cup of ORLUX or QUICKO [SP?] dry eggfood mix or similar brand, if you don't use a dry eggfood mix, it may be replaced with another hard boiled egg
Boil the whole egg at a hard boil for 30 minutes. Cool. In coffee grinder place flax seeds, mineral premix, spirulina and pellet powder [or whole wheat crumbs] cuttlebone powder or oyster shell. Grind until fine. Break egg and shell into the coffee grinder. Put the rest of the ingredients in coffee grinder and grind until crumbly. Moisten with water if needed to get the consistency that you want. Take out and store in a plastic container what you don't immediately use and place in the refridgerator. This mixture is good in the refridgerator for up to 3 weeks. It will dry out. So take out what you need and moisten with warm water until crumbly. Serve. Easy to double or triple recipe, if you need larger amounts. BY Darlene Johnson of LITTLE DARLINGS
Copyright © September 1993 - 2008 All rights reserved.
© 1993 Little Darlings Tails Up Seed Mix Recipe
